President Donald Trump promised an ‘interesting’ trip to Davos, Switzerland, as he departed the White House Tuesday night for the World Economic Forum, where his Greenland demands will be front and center.
Trump approached reporters standing on the South Lawn in the 22-degree weather and said he believed it would be a ‘very successful trip’ and touted that the ‘country’s never done better,’ pointing to lowering gas prices.
The president’s Davos speech is supposed to be geared toward midterm voters, as affordability issues are on the menu.
But his thirst for Greenland looms large, as several meetings have been scheduled with European leaders, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, to try to diffuse a conflict between the U.S. and Denmark.
‘I think this will be an interesting trip,’ Trump teased on the South Lawn. ‘I have no idea what’s going to happen.’
‘But you will be represented,’ he added, before boarding the presidential helicopter, Marine One.
After boarding Air Force One to start his journey across the Atlantic, he reiterated the point on Truth Social.
‘America will be well represented in Davos – by me. GOD BLESS YOU ALL! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP,’ the president wrote.
President Donald Trump teased that his trip to Davos for the World Economic Forum could get ‘interesting’ as he briefly talked to reporters on the White House’s South Lawn before departing for Switzerland
Earlier Tuesday, the president held an hour and 45-minute press conference.
He answered ‘you’ll find out’ when asked how far he would go to acquire Greenland, which the president has argued the U.S. needs to counter Russia and China – despite Denmark already allowing an American military presence.
At the same time, he hinted there could be a diplomatic solution.
“I think that we will work something out where NATO is going to be very happy,’ he said.
Trump’s Greenland posturing has NATO members worried that he could fracture the alliance.
It’s also sidelined another major world issue – the war in Ukraine – with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky opting to skip the summit for now.
Overnight Tuesday, Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio planting an American flag on the Danish territory.
Trump also shared a message written to him by French President Emmanuel Macron, where Macron was critical of Trump’s rhetoric.
President Donald Trump walks from Marine One to Air Force One Tuesday night as he departs for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, his third time attending the annual conference in the Swiss Alps
President Donald Trump gestures at the press as he board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrew as he departs Tuesday night for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland
Macron, still, invited the president to Paris on Thursday for an emergency G7 session so the leaders could work out the issue.
Trump told reporters that he wasn’t going to take Macron up on his offer – explaining that he doesn’t need to negotiate with the French president because he won’t be in office for much longer.
Macron is expected to leave office in May 2027.
‘There’s no longevity there,’ Trump said. ‘I have meetings with the people that are directly involved.’
